Harry Potter Fanon Wiki:Layout Guide
This Layout Guide is an official guide as to how an in-universe article should be structured. Generally this guide is to be used for character articles, but can be adapted to almost any in-universe article by leaving out sections that are irrelevant. By adhering to this layout guide we will add more uniformity across all the pages, and give the wiki a more professional look. Featured Article *Used to give an article "featured" status. *Only place if an article has been a Featured article. See also or Youmay tags Example: Another example: *Generally used when it is possible that a user has found one article when they were actually looking for another of a similar or same name. *See Category:Disambiguation and redirection templates Infobox Example (using a Ministry of Magic employee): * Used to present vital statistics of subject. * All infobox material must be detailed in the article proper. * When listing multiple items in a single infobox field, including cascading items, use bullets (*) to offset each item, including the first item listed. Do not use blank indentations. * Articles should not contain empty infoboxes. An empty infobox is defined as one in which no fields can be filled out other than the name of the subject due to limited information. Such infoboxes should be removed from the article until such time as more information can be added. * An article with only an infobox is forbidden, and is subject to deletion. Main image * Images used in infoboxes will be scaled to 250px (the minimum size to fit the infobox width in desktop view) for all infoboxes except conflict infoboxes (battles, wars, etc.), which use either 300px, 350px, or 400px, depending on specific template size. Larger default sizes are identified on the respective template pages. Images smaller than the default infobox size should not be scaled up. * Main infobox images shall be at least 400px in width whenever possible. This is done to accommodate the infobox's minimum width on most mobile devices in vertical view. Note that conflict infobox images do not currently show in mobile skin. Opening quote Example: *An opening quote is welcome for almost any type of article. *Quotes can be said by the article's subject, or said by someone else about the article's subject. *Do not use links within a quote, unless it is the only mention in the article of a certain subject. *If the speaker is another subject please include a link. *If the quote is not a simple quote, but includes dialogue between multiple characters, see Category:Quote and dialogue templates. Article body Example (for an article about a haracter): Example (for an article about a Character): Harry Potter was... (insert introductory sentence or paragraph) Biography Childhood ... ... ... Hogwarts ... 1991-1992 ... The Battle of Hogwarts ... After the War ... *Start headings at the second level ( ) *Headings and subheadings are usually not required for very small articles. Images Example: * Images should be placed where they are most relevant and should not interrupt the flow or the aesthetics of the article. * Placing them immediately underneath a heading or subheading usually works quite well. * Images should typically alternate from the right-side to the left-side. If there is a long infobox at the start, multiple images can be left aligned until the infobox ends. * Image caption punctuation (i.e., a full stop, or period) is determined by whether the caption uses a complete sentence. * Images placed in articles must be as high quality as possible, as source availability and technical restraints permit. Quotes Example: * In addition to the introductory quote, further quotes may be used throughout an article. * Although quotes may be placed in the body of the article, a maximum of one quote is allowed only at the beginning of each section. * Quotes are included "as-is", with the original spelling and formatting found in the source of the quote. In the case of a typo or other error, sic may be included to indicate that the error is from the original source and not the article. * See the "Quote and dialogue templates" category. Character articles Character articles Character Articles There are some guidelines for the organization of character articles within the Harry Potter Fanon Wiki. Though there is some flexibility, the following sections are typical: #'Biography' provides an account of the notable events in the character's life. The level of detail in this section is up to the individual author. However, a middle ground between succinct and lengthy is generally preferable. It is generally expected that this section will be divided into subsections on lengthy articles, though the appropriate sectioning of this is left to the author. #'Personality and traits' describes personality traits evident in the source material and how these influence the character's behaviour. Examples should be given where possible. #'Magical abilities and skills' or Powers and abilities for characters is intended to show any notable abilities possessed by the character. This section is particularly appropriate for magical characters and can include any school of magic for which the character demonstrates an aptitude. #'Equipment' can be used to give a brief description of any notable item which the character in question possesses. Each of these sections may be further subdivided as appropriate. Species articles Sentient species articles Sentient Species Articles There are some guidelines for the organization of species articles within the Harry Potter Fanon Wiki. Ideally, they are organized into four main sections: #'Biology and appearance' deals with the physical characteristics of the species. This includes descriptions of both their physical, instinctual and mental abilities, with particular emphasis on unique factors. #'Society and culture' deals with the sociological organization of the species, including such features as language, temperament, and family and societal structures. #'History' deals with the major events in the history of the species. This includes such events as wars, and other important epochs. Each of these three sections may be further subdivided as appropriate. Non-sentient and semi-sentient species articles Non-Sentient and Semi-Sentient Species Articles There are some guidelines for the organization of non-sentient and semi-sentient species articles within the Harry Potter Fanon Wiki. Ideally, they are organized into four main sections: #'Biology and appearance' deals with the physical characteristics of the species. This includes descriptions of both their physical, instinctual and mental abilities, with particular emphasis on unique factors. #'Behavior (and intelligence)' deals with the behaviour and organization of the species, including such features as temperament along with societal, relational, reproductive and habitual characteristics. Any discussion on potential sentience or semi-sentience should be included in this section; Addition of "and intelligence" can be used in such articles to further explain the discussion. #'History' deals with the major events in the history of the species. This includes such events as wars, and other important epochs. Each of these three sections may be further subdivided as appropriate. Battle, mission, and duel articles Battle Articles There are some guidelines for the organization of battle and event articles within the Harry Potter Fanon Wiki. Though there is some flexibility, the following sections are typical: #'Prelude' gives a brief description of the events leading up to the event as information is available. The level of detail in this section is up to the author, but should not take away from the article's subject of the actual event. #'The battle' describes the event from all related source material. All information should be written from a neutral perspective, with none of the narrative focusing exclusively on the perspective of one side of the conflict. Alternatively, this section can be renamed to more appropriately reflect on the article's name. #'Aftermath' can be used for any information related to the event that took place after its conclusion as it is available. As with the Prelude, however, the level of detail should not take away from the article's subject, which is the event itself. Each of these sections may be further subdivided as appropriate. Note: if something else of significance concerning the event is relevant, a section of its own can be created. Object articles Object Articles There are some guidelines for the organization of objects and similar articles within the Harry Potter Fanon Wiki. Though there is some flexibility, the following sections are typical: #'Description' will include any information on the characteristics of the item, such as design, utilization, and variants. #'History' covers the known use of the item, arranged in chronological order. Ideally, all appearances of the item are described here. Also included are users of the item, detailing the specific instances of the item's use, and by whom. Each of these sections may be further subdivided as appropriate. Note: if something else of significance concerning the item is relevant, a section of its own can be created. Behind the scenes (notice the capitalisation) The "Behind the scenes" section (notice the capitalization) details the development of an in-universe subject from a real-world, out-of-universe perspective. This section may discuss a number of varying topics, including but not limited to a subject's origin, significant additions made to a subject's in-universe continuity, and storyline contradictions affecting a subject's in-universe continuity. The following is a more detailed list of potential "Behind the scenes" topics: * Origin of subject: Where did the subject first appear or was first mentioned, first pictured, or first named? Was the subject named after a real-world person or based upon a real-world subject or event? * Contradictions: Detail any significant contradictions affecting a subject's continuity. Were any factors rendered non-canon by contradictory higher canon sources? * "Canon" development: Chronicle a subject's development through continuity in different source material. Discuss any significant changes made to a subject, including retcon information. How did this change in his character's background affect previously released stories? * Authorial intent: Authors occasionally release statements outside of their published stories to detail information they intended to convey in their projects without necessarily being spelled out in a given source. Name etymology Example: Name etymology *Who was responsible for naming the subject, was it based on anything, etc. *What the root of the name means Appearances *Bulleted list of any work the subject has appeared in *These are de facto references or sources, but they are listed separately because they are in-universe *Includes even the smallest mentions in dialogue, narration, or visual appearance *Should be sorted in order of in-universe chronology *Do not pipe film and video game titles, e.g.: **BAD: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone **GOOD: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) *If a subject's appearance in a work is only a brief mention, apply the Mo template, e.g. for a deceased character who is mentioned: **''Dominus Mundi'' *For a subject's first appearance in the saga (in order of publication, not in order of internal chronology), use the template, e.g. for Sirius Black: **''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' *If a subject's first appearance in the series is only a mere mention, use the and template, e.g. for Luna Lovegood: **''Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' **''Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' *A subject might not be named in its first appearance, but is identified in a later source. In this case, use and , e.g. for Tom Marvolo Riddle: **''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' **''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' ***The name is optional, if it is not used the page name will be substituted *If a character has non-canon appearance, use the template, e.g. for Nigel: **''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)'' **''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)'' *If you wish to specifically point out a Chapter as a reference, please use the template, e.g.: ** *For generic comments, use . For example, will produce: **''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' *Please see Category:Appearance templates for a full list of premade comments. Succession box Succession boxes serve two purposes: to list the time period for which an individual held a certain post/title, and to provide links to their immediate predecessor and/or successor. It is best to follow these "do nots": *Do not insert succession boxes for titles that were unique to a certain individual and, therefore, result in no predecessors or successors. The same applies if the individual is the only known holder of the title. **E.g. ''Lord Voldemort'' *Do not insert succession boxes if the individual's position in the succession sequence is unclear. *Do not insert succession boxes for something that is not a proper title. For example, a succession box for Severus Snape where the title is "Holds an Unbreakable Vow to Albus Dumbledore". Within the , there are six possible fields to insert information, all of which must be sourced: * title: This field is for the title of the succession box. It is required. * years: This field is for the years the position was held or the events occurred. Please limit this to one tenure, and repeat succession boxes as necessary. This field is also required. * before: This field is for the nearest known predecessor. See below for conditions. * after: This field is for the nearest known successor. See below for conditions. If the individual was the first (last) person to bear a certain title, the "before" input ("after" input) should list "None" without any punctuation. If there are no known predecessors/successors, the corresponding fields should be left blank. However, if there are some known predecessors/successors, the section should read "Eventually ". In contrast, "Unknown" should not be used in the dates of succession boxes. The phrase "the first (last) person to bear a certain title" means that there are no successors because the title was made (obsolete). If the individual in question continues to hold the title "currently" (where the "present" is defined as the date of the last published Harry Potter work), the "after" field should read "Incumbent". Order succession boxes by the years in which the position was held. The earliest held position is first. If multiple positions have the same starting year, then the earlier ending year is first, etc. Notes and references Relevant policy: Harry Potter Fanon Wiki:Sourcing * List of sources for information in the "Behind the scenes" section. * Items are added to the list by placing Source goes here after the information tidbit in question. * To get the references to show up in this section, use the template. * References will only use periods at the end of the citation if the citation is a complete sentence. References that are not complete sentences will not use periods. * As a general rule, we recommend reserving scroll boxes for reference lists to articles that employ no less than forty to fifty individual references. However, this is by no means a hard figure, and final decisions for the use of scroll boxes should be determined by what best suits each individual article. ** The standard scroll box size may be enlarged for certain articles, but this should be done only in rare cases for presentation purposes. Requests to do so should be made on the article's talk page or article review pages. See also * Links to related topics not already linked in article * Usually links to family pages or organisations External links The External links section is a bulleted list of out-of-universe links from websites outside of Harry Potter Fanon. These links are commonly unlicensed and/or other unofficial sources of information, such as fan websites and Wikipedia articles. * The section is called "External links," even if the article only has one external link * For Wikipedia articles, use the template (example: gives you: ) * Blog posts may be listed in the External links as necessary to supplement an article's coverage, but restrict Blog listings to posts of critical relevance. Any Blog post that is cited in the course of the article must be listed in the External links if not already listed in the Sources section. Category * Every article must have all applicable categories. * Categories should be listed in alphabetical order * MediaWiki allows use of the DEFAULTSORT to eliminate unnecessary coding while still achieving the desired result of categorizing articles by last name (ie, one need not use Potter, Harry; use the below method) Category:Wizards Category:Males * Articles beginning with an article ("a," "an," or "the") should be categorized by the first significant word; for example, Al-Antidian Handbook, The. *Articles placed in categories should not also be placed in that category's parent category; for example, articles in Category:Hufflepuffs should not also be placed in Category:Hogwarts students. Category:Policy